Can I replace the Sony Xperia 1 fingerprint reader/scanner?

Question

Sony Xperia 1

Repair guides and detailed information on Sony's flagship phone, the Xperia 1, released on May 30, 2019.

Rep: 1

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Many owners of the Sony Xperia 1 have found its fingerprint reader can be temperamental.

At least one post on the Sony forums blames this on Sony using a crappy cheap component.

Obviously mine is now past any warranty and it is probably not worth the cost for official out-of-warranty repair.

The previous time my fingerprint reader randomly stopped working, a few safe mode reboots got it to work again.

This time I think it may be permanently dead. I can think of two possible solutions and I would l love some thoughts on whether either would work:

Cheaper(?) option: Buy a replacement fingerprint sensor flex cable and try to replace the component myself. But there is no guarantee the replacement would work and taking apart my phone might just cause more problems than it solves
Maybe costlier option: Buy a USB-C fingerprint reader. This is a less destructive/invasive solution and I'll have a USB-C fingerprint reader. But this is hoping my phone can use it via USB-OTG.

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